Norman Mailer Anthology Finds New Publisher After Random House Opts Not to Pursue it

An anthology of writings by the late Norman Mailer will be published by Skyhorse Publishing after Random House, Mailer's longtime publisher reportedly grew wary of the project.

The collection of Mailer's works, including some writing that has never been published, according to The New York Times, is reportedly set to be released by the late author's 100th birthday in 2023.

Andrew Wylie, a literary agent from the agency that represents the Mailer estate told The Associated Press that Skyhorse Publishing will release the book, but previous reports of Random House dropping the collection over objections from within the company to some of Mailer's writings on racial issues were not accurate.

"Random House is proud to publish Norman Mailer, and intends to promote his work significantly for the centennial, in tandem with the publication by Skyhorse of the anthology," Wylie wrote in an email. "The Mailer family and Random House are united in support of Norman's work."

The report Wylie disputed came from the online newsletter The Ankler, which alleged a staff member within Random House objected to Mailer's writing, specifically from the 1957 essay "The White Negro."

In the essay, Mailer writes that Black people are models of non-conformity for white people to follow, focusing on "the enormous present," letting go of "the pleasures of the mind for the more obligatory pleasures of the body."

Wylie and a spokesperson from Random House told The AP the claim that the publisher "dropped" the collection is false because it was not officially under contract.

Skyhorse has previously taken on such discarded works as Woody Allen's memoir "Apropos of Nothing" and a Philip Roth biography written by Blake Bailey.

Wylie said that such details as the book's contents, title and date of publication were still to be determined.

A Skyhorse spokesperson was not immediately able to confirm there was a deal for the Mailer book. Skyhorse is an independent publisher that has made a name for itself in recent years by signing up such authors as Allen, Bailey, Garrison Keillor and others the mainstream industry has distanced itself from, for reasons ranging from allegations of sexual harassment to sexual assault. Skyhouse also is the publisher of the inflammatory bestseller "The Real Anthony Fauci," by anti-vaccine crusader Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Asked if he would confirm the Ankler report, Wylie said "That's not the issue at all." Asked why Random House was not publishing the book, Wylie called it an "editorial decision" and added "There is really no issue here."

Mailer, who died in 2007, was among the most famous and controversial authors in his lifetime and has long been a signature part of Random House's legacy, which includes such Mailer peers as Truman Capote and William Styron. He was the recipient of Pulitzer Prizes for "The Armies of the Night" and "The Executioner's Song," but was also widely condemned for his writing on race, for his admittedly misogynist opinions and for the stabbing of his second wife, Adele Morales, in 1960.

While news of Random House not publishing the new collection led to allegations on social media that Mailer was being "cancelled," his books remain widely available through Random House and the Library of America, which has been releasing permanent bound editions of his work. "The White Negro" can easily be found online, including via Dissent magazine, where the essay first appeared.

But interest in his work has sharply faded, especially compared to such contemporaries as James Baldwin. According to NPD BookScan, which tracks around 85 percent of the print market, combined sales for four of Mailer's best known books — "The Armies of the Night," "The Naked and the Dead," "The Executioner's Song" and "The Fight" — were under 4,000 copies in 2021.

One of Mailer's sons, Michael Mailer, told the AP that Random House suggested a centennial project. The family, along with Mailer biographer J. Michael Lennon, "put together a proposal for a collection of political essays on democracy which they liked and then decided later not to proceed due to objections, putatively, from certain junior executives."

A Random House spokesperson did not respond directly to allegations about the book's contents, saying in a statement: "It is factually incorrect that Random House cancelled an upcoming book of essays by Norman Mailer. We did not have this collection under contract. Random House does continue to publish much of Norman Mailer's backlist."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.